Feature Channels: Agriculture

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In space, fine dining can be an alien experience.

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Imagine plants not just sipping nutrients dissolved in water, but actually munching on tiny mineral particles straight from the soil! This groundbreaking study sheds light on how wheat and lettuce aren’t just passive feeders—they actively grab, transport, and utilize solid minerals from their roots all the way to their shoots.

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August has seen record heat, but that won’t stop knowledgeable home gardeners who know that now is the best time to plant fall crops: beets, carrots, kale, cauliflower, peas, lettuce, spinach, cilantro, and more.

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When giant ragweed takes hold in a crop field, the towering weed reduces yield and sends plumes of its famously allergy-inducing pollen into the air. There are few tools available to thwart the menace, especially for farmers growing non-GMO soybeans. Now, some Wisconsin farmers are left with even fewer options.

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The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center announced today that Kevin Cox, PhD, has joined as an assistant member. Cox will hold a joint appointment as an assistant professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. A native St. Louisan, Cox grew up in Florissant and graduated from Hazelwood Central High School.

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A significant milestone in horticultural genomics has been reached with the successful decoding of the tetraploid Chinese cherry genome. This study provides essential insights into the genetic factors that influence fruit firmness, a critical trait for enhancing the cherry’s market appeal and transportation durability.

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A cutting-edge study reveals the biochemical defense system of the wild lily, Lilium regale, which demonstrates remarkable resistance against Fusarium wilt—a major threat to the floriculture industry. The research uncovers the lily's robust defense mechanisms, spotlighting the critical role of phenylpropanoid metabolism and the regulatory influence of specific transcription factors. These findings offer valuable insights for developing crops with enhanced disease resistance.

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Los ingredientes de la salsa, como el cilantro y el jalapeño, se pueden cultivar en vidrio reciclado. Un estudio piloto reveló que la sustitución parcial de la tierra con fragmentos de vidrio puede acelerar el desarrollo de la planta y reducir el crecimiento de hongos no deseado. Los investigadores presentarán sus resultados en la ACS Fall 2024.

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Salsa ingredients, such as cilantro and jalapeño, can be cultivated on recycled glass. A pilot study found that partially replacing potting soil with glass fragments can speed up plant development and reduce unwanted fungal growth. The researchers will present their results at ACS Fall 2024.

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The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture is investing in University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research that could expedite the development of climate-resilient corn.

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Neutron techniques are revolutionizing environmental and biological sciences, offering new ways to study complex systems like soil-root interactions and plant-microbe dynamics. Recent advancements in neutron imaging and scattering provide unprecedented insights, helping to address critical global challenges such as climate change and sustainable agriculture.

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Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a Circularity Index that provides a comprehensive method to quantify circularity in bioeconomic systems. In a new paper, they outline the method and apply it to two case studies – a corn/soybean farming operation and the entire U.S. food and agriculture system.

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A research team at the Liucheng Sugarcane Research Units (LC-SRU) developed the fifth-generation sugarcane variety LC05-136, which has become a flagship in China due to its high yield, high sugar content, and strong tolerance to drought and cold stress.

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A research team sequenced and analyzed the complete chloroplast genomes of C. oleifera and C. meiocarpa, uncovering significant differences that clarified their phylogenetic relationship.

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Dr. Agnieszka Truszkowska, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, has won the 2024 Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Award. The national honor is a one-year $5,000 commitment aimed at enriching the research skills and professional growth of young faculty members at ORAU member institutions.

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Decades after his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin became fascinated by why plants move as they grow—spinning and twisting into corkscrews. Now, more than 150 years later, a new study may have solved the riddle.

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Grass carp is one of the most productive freshwater fish and plays an important role in ensuring protein supply. This paper reviews the main research achievements of grass carp, such as morphology, cytogenetics, molecular population genetics and so on.

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Dr. Carl Lipo from Binghamton University studied Easter Island (Rapa Nui), where he has conducted extensive research on the famous moai statues and the island’s history.

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A multi-institutional group of scientists identified a particular signature of potassium organic acids that are some of the first of their kind.

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Researchers have introduced StarFusion, a cutting-edge spatiotemporal fusion method that significantly improves the temporal resolution and fusion accuracy of high-resolution satellite imagery in agriculture. By fusing data from China's Gaofen-1 and Europe's Sentinel-2 satellites, StarFusion addresses the common problem of infrequent imaging due to long revisit periods and cloud cover interference from high-resolution satellites, which often hinders the effectiveness of high-resolution remote sensing in dynamic agricultural environments. By integrating deep learning with traditional regression models, the method enhances both spatial detail and temporal resolution, making it an invaluable tool for more effective crop monitoring and management.